I am going to discuss a few thoughts on this past weekend’s NFL Draft. Over the next several months, any fans who have questions about rookies, veterans, and teams looking ahead towards the 2008 NFL Season, please email me here. I will answer selected questions via the blog throughout the spring and summer.

Kansas City Chiefs: Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards stood out on draft weekend although they gave up Jared Allen last week. Adding Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert allow the Chiefs to build a new foundation along both trenches for the long-term as this franchise transitions to a new era. The Chiefs have always built their strength along both front lines for many years. Dorsey is the impact player they’ve been missing in the middle of their defense and the type of penetrator that Gunther Cunningham likes to build his defense around. Albert was a masterful pickup to building rebuilding an offensive line that loss Will Shields and William Roaf in recent years. The Chiefs can now focus on finding pieces to build around Albert upfront. Brandon Flowers has a future as a tough component as the Chiefs work to get younger at cornerback. Jamal Charles also strengthens their depth behind Larry Johnson at running back.

Jacksonville Jaguars: There is a buzz around the league about the Jaguars. They have been struggling to generate consistent pressure off the perimeter and haven’t been able to acquire a blue-chip pass rusher. Adding rookies Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves opened a lot of eyes on Saturday. Harvey isn’t an explosive pass rusher, but should develop into a well-rounded starter and Groves likely will be a situational pass rusher. The Jaguars are always trying to find nickel help, which could open a spot for Trae Williams early. Williams isn’t big enough to start, but has good cover skills. Expectations will be high for Jack Del Rio this season.

Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach will be defined by Joe Flacco’s development. This represents the biggest boom or bust pick of the draft mainly due to Flacco going in the mid-first and representing a big part of the future. Flacco has very intriguing tools to become another Tony Romo, but has a lot of work ahead just like any other rookie quarterback. He’s going to have to learn how to read defenses and get rid of the ball quicker at the pro level than he showed on film at Delaware. The quarterback position generally represents the biggest risk in the first round, but they feel comfortable with Cam Cameron working with Flacco. If Flacco fails, it will set the Ravens back for years.

Chad Henne, Brian Brohm, and John David Booty: The Dolphins, Packers, and Vikings respectively made good insurance picks at the quarterback position. John Beck wasn’t drafted by the new regime in Miami and raised a lot of red flags with his play as a rookie when he looked like a deer in headlights a few times. Henne is more of the strong-armed pocket passer that Parcells has always built around in the past. Brohm probably found his best fit going to Green Bay without the pressure of being a first round pick. Brohm comes from a family-like atmosphere in Louisville, which makes Green Bay an easier transition. And in Minnesota, the jury is out on Tarvaris Jackson. John David Booty at least offers some long-term insurance as a backup.

Green Bay Packers: In talking about the Packers, it will be interesting to see how things play out with Aaron Rodgers and Brian Brohm. Picking Brohm was a good move to provide insurance because Rodgers is hardly any sure bet despite his progression during the past year. But it will be interesting to how Rodgers responds. Although Rodgers and Brohm both have durability questions, they aren’t in bad shape at the quarterback position so soon after Brett Favre’s retirement – especially with a quarterback guru like Mike McCarthy as head coach. Unfortunately, neither has the veteran experience you’d like to see a contender have at this stage. Beyond the Brohm pick, the Packers have a pretty solid draft. Jordy Nelson wasn’t an exciting pick in the second round, but he’s a good fit in the passing game and can return punts. Jermichael Finley was a solid pickup in the third round to pair with Donald Lee in double tight end sets in the passing game. Ted Thompson is giving Mike McCarthy a lot of depth in the passing game to help his young quarterbacks develop. Jeremy Thompson should add depth at defensive end. He lacks ideal tools, but is workman-like.

Minnesota Vikings: Although he wasn’t a draft pick on Saturday, the Vikings’ trading their first round pick to Kansas City for Jared Allen could push the Vikings over the top in the NFC North. The quarterback position and pass rush were the two biggest problems for the Vikings last season. Allen certainly fits in well here to give the Vikings production off the perimeter. The only question now is how Tarvaris Jackson and their young talent at wide receive progresses heading into the 2008 season. Bernard Berrian should help the Vikings stretch the field.

Miami Dolphins: I believe the Dolphins have acquired a solid foundation to begin the Bill Parcells Era. Jake Long has a chance to become a stud at left tackle and suddenly the Dolphins have a few young lineman to build around upfront. Shawn Murphy has some upside at guard as a fourth round pick. Long and Vernon Carey are solid building blocks upfront along with Justin Smiley and Samson Satele inside. The Dolphins also added some numbers with Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford at defensive end. Both could be solid fits within the 3-4 defense. Chad Henne is a good value pick at quarterback. He’s a blue-collar leader with good physical tools. I believe he’ll overtake John Beck quickly.

I have to give Jack Del Rio and the Jaguars’ Organization a lot of credit for making a bold move based on their belief that they are a better football team with David Garrard under center entering the regular season. 

Byron Leftwich regressed down the stretch in training camp after taking a solid approach towards bouncing back from another injury-plagued season.  Leftwich has shown he can hang tough in the pocket and make tough throws in tight spots, but it’s clear he wasn’t going to be the future in Jacksonville.  Leftwich frustrated members within the organization with his lack of mobility in the pocket and has slow delivery. 

With questions about the offensive line at this point, Del Rio felt more comfortable going with Garrard and his ability to get outside the pocket and make plays.  That’s what Garrard does best.  He brings a lot of spark to the offense. 

But here’s where this decision is very risky for Del Rio.  Garrard is erratic in the pocket and doesn’t see the field that well.  He tends to be erratic at times and is prone to turnovers. 

While Garrard will make some plays with his feet, he must learn to protect the football if this Jaguars team is to make the playoffs. 

Garrard faces a tough challenge working with a suspect group of receivers. 

A lot of eyebrows were raised when word got out around the league that the Philadelphia Eagles released veteran linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. 

Trotter faded down the stretch last season as his knees continued to deteriorate.  He wasn’t getting to as many plays against the run and has been a liability against the pass.  He dropped a lot of weight this past spring to take some pressure off his knees and was moving better during the off-season.  But Eagles’ coach Andy Reid was happy with the progress of his young linebackers and felt now was the right time to make the move.  The Eagles will miss the leadership Trotter provided.  He was a major component of the soul of this Eagles’ team.  But the Eagles still have the heart of this team – Brian Dawkins - and Takeo Spikes will be a solid veteran leader at linebacker. 

Omar Gaither will make a few mistakes with only five starts under his belt, but he’ll grow into the position as he gains more experience.  Gaither has good ball awareness and is often around the ball.  He’ll be active against the run if the Eagles protect him upfront.  And most importantly, Gaither provides good range against the pass. 

Vikings add depth at wide receiver: If healthy, former Packer Robert Ferguson can provide some help at wide receiver.  He’s very strong and has the speed to stretch the field, but he’s still a little unpolished in many aspects of the game since he’s lost a lot of development time with injuries throughout his career.  If Ferguson can contribute on a consistent basis, he’ll take pressure off rushing their intriguing rookie class of receivers into key roles this season.  Bobby Wade is their most accomplished veteran, but is just an adequate slot receiver with good skills after the catch, but inconsistent hands.  Troy Williamson has the speed to stretch the ball and has shown more consistency with his ball skills this summer.  Rookie Sidney Rice could be eased into the passing game – especially in red zone situations. 

Raiders try to bolster front four: A lot of people were surprised at the trade to acquire Denver’s Gerard Warren, but the Raiders view this as an opportunity to bolster their strong defense.  Rob Ryan loves to generate pressure with his front four and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.  That’s what Warren brings when he’s healthy.  Warren loves to shoot gaps and make plays in the opposing backfield.  Warren battled a lot of nagging injuries last season, but had a tremendous season in 2005 with Denver.  Terdell Sands and Tommy Kelly have battled to gain most of the snaps next to Warren Sapp, but neither is a disruptive player.  Sands is strong against the run and can clog the interior.  Kelly is versatile enough to play some tackle and end, but has never played up to his strength against the run inside.  Anttaj Hawthorne has flashed some natural instincts at times, but lacks ideal quickness, strength, and intensity to make a difference on the field.  The addition of Warren also gives the Raiders some options with Sapp.  Although Sapp is coming off a solid season and is in tremendous shape after dropping a lot of weight this past spring, he’s also 34 years old.  The Raiders are considering various exit strategies with Sapp.

Payne comes home: Seth Payne and the Jaguars are a strong match.  Payne loves Jacksonville and the Jaguars need insurance at defensive tackle.  Marcus Stroud and John Henderson are the strength of the Jaguars with their ability to shut down run lanes inside and protect their host of athletes at linebackers.  But Stroud is still working his way into form following ankle surgery and backup Tony McDaniel has moved outside due to injuries at defensive end.  Payne is a very strong interior player who can clog lanes inside against the run.  Payne can’t be counted on these days as a starter due to his injury of knee problems – including a torn ACL last October – but should be a solid backup.

Bengals lost pass rush depth: Losing linebacker Eric Henderson with a fractured wrist is a blow to the Bengals’ defense.  Henderson possessed a lot of natural pass rush ability and was expected to provide depth in their pass rush behind Robert Geathers and Justin Smith.  Henderson actually has more pass rush ability than Smith with his natural instincts and technique.  Jonathan Fanene could now have an opportunity to play off the edge in pass rush situations.  Fanene comes off the ball well and has upside as a pass rusher.  Unfortunately, Fanene is raw and hasn’t had enough snaps as a pass rusher to develop his techniques and moves. 

The Eagles have to be pleased by what they saw on Friday Night in Donovan McNabb’s debut following a tough rehab from a serious knee injury. 

 

The Eagles rallied to make the playoffs with Jeff Garcia at quarterback last season.  But they were getting by in the passing game with smoke and mirrors as Garcia’s limitations were exposed down the stretch.  Brian Westbrook carried the offense as Garcia faded.  Now with a healthy McNabb, the Eagles look to have a dangerous offense this season.

 

Some observers are skeptical about the big-play ability of the offense after allowing Donte’ Stallworth to sign elsewhere this spring, but McNabb has a solid group of receivers to spread the ball around.  This allows the Eagles to get back to the roots of Andy Reid’s philosophy to avoid relying on one primary option to build a passing game around.  Reggie Brown has emerged as a playmaker.  He lacks breaking speed and will drop a few balls, but has shown he knows how to get open and make big plays in clutch situations. 

 

Former Ram Kevin Curtis replaces Stallworth.  Curtis lacks the size and ability to create matchup problems downfield like Stallworth, but is more consistent and has enough speed to make plays in Reid’s ball-control passing game.  Hank Baskett and Jason Avant have emerged as solid targets in their second seasons.  Baskett has good size and toughness, but is also a deceptive playmaker downfield.  Avant has proven he can be a reliable option in traffic with his hands and toughness. 

 

L.J. Smith has good athletic skills from the tight end spot, but the Eagles are still waiting for him to display more consistency and avoid nagging injuries.  Meanwhile, rookie Brent Celek has displayed the ability to become a solid intermediate target during camp.  

 

 

Packers rely on youth: The Packers finally pulled the plug on Robert Ferguson.  Drafted by Green Bay in the second round in 2001 based on his tremendous blend of speed and physical skills, Ferguson never developed into the consistent playmaker the Packers envisioned.  His numerous injuries over the years curtailed his developmental time on the field early in his career.  This was the right move by the Packers.  Organizations often have the tough task to balance when its time to give up on a high round draft choice.  Generally, when you realize a young player can’t play and shows little chance for development, its best to cut ties sooner than later.  On the other end of the spectrum, organizations also need to show patience with good athletes.  In the Packers’ situation, they’ve given Ferguson a couple years longer than normal.  Now, the Packers have collected a group of younger receivers that have shown enough to for them to build behind Donald Driver.  Greg Jennings showed good maturity as a rookie last season and added some bulk over the spring.  Rookie James Jones has opened a lot of eyes this summer.  Jones displays a tremendous blend of physical skills and ball skills.  Ruvell Martin has developed into a steady option over the middle with his physical skills.  And Carlyle Holiday rounds out this unit with his excellent size and athletic ability.  Holiday displayed flashes at wide receiver last season.

 

Jaguars changing guard at wide receiver: It’s no secret that Jack Del Rio has grown frustrated with the inconsistency of his wide receivers over the past couple years.  It has reached a boiling point – especially with Reggie Williams.  Williams continues to struggle separating from defenders and make plays with the ball.  And for a receiver that struggles to make plays, he doesn’t catch the ball consistency enough.  Look for Williams to hit the waiver wire later this month.  Dennis Northcutt and rookie Mike Walker have been their best targets this summer.  Northcutt runs the best routes and has brought a level of professionalism to a young unit, but he’s a number three receiver at best for many teams because he lacks ideal size and speed.  Walker also lacks speed, but catches the ball well and displays a lot of natural skills for a rookie.  Unfortunately, many scouts around the league have concerns about the long-term durability of Walker, who suffered a serious knee injury in college.  Rookie Charles Sharon has shown good hands and the ability to make some plays with ball. 

 

In Blakely The Falcons Trust: With knee problems slowing Alge Crumpler again, Dwayne Blakely has capitalized on the opportunity to establish himself within the offense.  Blakely has always had good athletic ability, but is showing the ability to make plays down the seam with his toughness and ability to leap in traffic.  With Crumpler and Blakely, the Falcons have two tight ends who can line up in slot and create favorable matchups in the passing game.  Meanwhile, the Falcons must closely monitor Crumpler’s knee problems this season as he turns 30 in December.  Crumpler has had knee problems in the past and there is some concern about his long-term durability. 

 

Bills look to establish run: Being a Mike Martz-disciple, many people view Steve Fairchild as a passing guy.  But Fairchild’s objective since arriving in Buffalo has been to establish a productive run game.  Fairchild never had much confidence in Willis McGahee last season – especially with his lack of versatility.  Now with rookie Marshawn #### replacing McGahee, look for Fairchild to implement his vision for a multifaceted backfield.  #### has impressed the Bills with his excellent speed and quickness – especially in open space.  Expect #### to make a major impact in the passing game with his ability to create matchup problems for linebackers.  In addition to #### creating headlines, veteran Anthony Thomas is having a very solid camp.  Thomas has displayed an extra bounce in his step this summer and has looked his best in years to provide a solid complement to #### in the backfield. 

Erasmus James is back on the field again following a long battle back from a 2006 knee injury.  His return to the starting lineup won’t be easy with the development of Ray Edwards.  Edwards flashed natural pass rush ability and athleticism coming off the perimeter last season and has built upon this during the spring and into training camp.  Edwards has continued to develop as a pass rusher and has added bulk to become respectable against the run.  Edwards has a good opportunity to post double digit sacks. 

In other news with the Vikings, not many people are talking about the addition of former Dolphin defensive tackle Fred Evans.  Keep an eye on this move.  Evans was let go by Miami after a series of off-field incidents, but has tremendous potential.  His blend of size and power makes him an ideal fit to significantly upgrade their interior rotation behind Pat Williams and Kevin Williams.  Evans plays with a lot of intensity and shows good on-field smarts for a young veteran.  He’ll learn a lot from Pat Williams over the next several months and could step in the starting lineup in 2008 if they failed to re-sign Williams. 

Bengals: Losing rookie Kenny Irons to a knee injury was a blow for the Bengals’ at running back.  Rudi Johnson is expected to have another solid year pounding away at opposing defenses, but the Bengals wanted a versatile back who could push Johnson and enhance their depth – especially with the uncertain future of Chris Perry.  Unheralded Kenny Watson will again be called upon to fill a key role in the backfield.  Watson lacks the speed to bring diversity to the backfield, but is a tough inside runner who is also very efficient in the passing game.  Quincy Wilson will also have an opportunity to establish himself in a backup role.  Wilson is a very tough runner between the tackles, but lacks speed and needs a lot of polish in the passing game. 

Jaguars: The addition of veteran Sammy Knight was a very smart move by the Jacksonville front office.  The Jaguars decided to go with youth at safety with Reggie Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh.  Both bring good athleticism and the ability to make plays on the ball, but lack experience.  Josh Gattis and Nick Sorensen have failed to distinguish themselves as backups and also lack experience.  Knight has very limited athletic skills, but is a savvy veteran who is like another coach on the field.  Expect Knight to provide strong support and insurance in the secondary for the Jaguars.

Jets: Sione Pouha has been a washout prior to this season for the Jets and missed last season with a knee injury.  But keep an eye on Pouha throughout the preseason.  Pouha was envisioned as a future nose tackle a few years ago with his blend of size and natural strength at the point of attack, but he played more too passively on the field.  Coming off the knee injury, Pouha has finally awaken after reporting to camp in tremendous shape and an improved mindset.  Pouha still enough bulk to develop at the nose tackle position, where the Jets have struggled to clog gaps against the run.  Dewayne Robertson has worked hard enough to be decent, but is more of a one-gap defender than a nose tackle type, which has created some problems for the Jets in establishing a strong run defense.  

Cardinals: I believe Arizona will have a tough time replacing Chike Okeafor, who is out for the season following a torn biceps tendon.  Okeafor was a proven veteran pass rusher, but also brought a solid level of professionalism to the defense.  Darryl Blackstock and Calvin Pace will attempt at replacing Okeafor.  Blackstock has natural quickness off the edge and has added bulk during the off-season, but has a lot to prove in developing into a bonafide pass rusher and making adjustments when taking on blockers.  Pace is a former defensive end who runs well and has upfield quickness, but lacks intensity and has struggled at the point of attack in the past.  The Cardinals head into the season with a lot of questions about their pass rush.  Their only established pass rusher at this point – Bert Berry – has experienced tough luck with injuries the past couple years and now has reached age 32.  On a positive note, Berry has shed some weight with the switch to rush linebacker and has been moving around very well during training camp, but must prove he can still play a 16-game season.